To Serve, Not to Be Served: Daily Thoughts from Mark (Mark 12:38-40)

Why does Jesus seem to pick on the religious leaders in Israel for his harshest criticism?  Undoubtedly because they have the greatest opportunity to use power for self-aggrandizement and the greatest opportunity to hurt others, and do all this in the name of God.  They become spiritual abusers when they do so.

Interestingly, Jesus here speaks directly to the scribes, those copiers of Scripture who also became its teachers.  He has just interacted with a scribe whom he said was close to the kingdom, because of the way he approved of Jesus’ answer that the greatest commandments were to love God and to love one’s neighbor.  Then he asked his own question about David’s son, the Messiah, being David’s lord, and asked why the scribes interpreted the Scriptures correctly about Messiah being David’s offspring but did not include that he was David’s lord, and the implications of that.  Now he directly attacks the penchant of the scribes in general to self-centered power seeking for personal gain.

And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” (Mark 12:38-40, ESV)

God hates religious hypocrisy.  It uses His name to draw attention to oneself, satisfy one’s ego, and most despicably, take advantage of the weak for personal gain.  Hypocrites will therefore rightly receive the greater condemnation.

It is easy to fall into because we are inherently selfish.  We like our egos stroked.  We like places of power and its privileges.  So we must beware of ourselves as much as of others who display such hypocrisy and selfishness.

Watch out for teachers and preachers, prelates and rectors, pastors and priests who love the limelight.  They love themselves more than their neighbors.

We have seen this hypocrisy and abuse most recently in the many Catholic priests accused of child molestation, and the Protestant pastors who have also engaged in the same thing.  If we are to take Jesus’ posture on this, we cannot allow such “leaders” to remain in leadership positions.  It is antithetical to God’s purposes of love for His children and His purpose for leadership, which is to serve and not be served.